Customized bed exit warnings to modify patient behavior

ABSTRACT

A patient support apparatus includes a frame, a support surface, and a sensor. The frame cooperates with the support surface to support a patient. The sensor is coupled to one of the frame and the support surface and is configured to provide an input signal indicative of a characteristic associated with the patient.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/212,669, filed on Jul. 18, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,504,353. Thepresent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/197,294, filed Jul. 27, 2015, which isexpressly incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure is related to patient support apparatuses, and inparticular to patient support apparatuses used to provide warnings topatients supported by the patient support apparatuses. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure relates to patient supportapparatuses used to provide warnings to patients to discourage thepatients from exiting the patient support apparatuses.

Patients exiting patient support apparatuses without caregiverassistance may be at risk of falling and sustaining injuries as aresult. For example, patients exiting patient support apparatuses whiledelirious or in a state of dementia may be particularly prone tofalling. Additionally, patients exiting patient support apparatuseswithout caregiver assistance may be at risk of inadvertently removingtubes used to deliver medication to the patients or lines used tomonitor biological activities of the patients.

Patient support apparatuses may provide warnings to patients todiscourage the patients from exiting the patient support apparatuses.Such warnings may be limited in a variety of ways. In some cases, thewarnings may not allow enough time for the caregivers to assist thepatients before the patients exit the patient support apparatuseswithout assistance. In other cases, the warnings may fail to discouragethe patients from exiting the patient support apparatuses withoutassistance. In other cases still, the warnings may take the form ofalarms that embarrass and compromise the dignity of the patients.

SUMMARY

The present application discloses one or more of the features recited inthe appended claims and/or the following features which, alone or in anycombination, may comprise patentable subject matter:

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a patient supportapparatus comprises a frame, a sensor, and a controller. The frame and asupport surface cooperate to support a patient. The sensor is coupled toone of the frame and the support surface, and the sensor is configuredto provide an input signal indicative of a characteristic associatedwith the patient. The controller is coupled to the sensor, and thecontroller includes a processor and memory. The controller is configuredto receive the input signal, associate the characteristic indicated bythe input signal with patient information stored in an electronicmedical records system, and cause a message customized to the patientaccording to the patient information to be issued to the patient.

In some embodiments, the characteristic may correspond to a position ofthe patient on the support surface. The message may comprise an audiblemessage that addresses the patient by name and discourages the patientfrom exiting the support surface. Additionally, in other embodiments,the message may comprise a visual message that addresses the patient byname and discourages the patient from exiting the support surface.

In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus may further comprisea pendant coupled to the controller, and the controller may beconfigured to cause the message to be issued by the pendant. Thecontroller may be configured to cause another message to be issued bythe pendant to the patient to accompany the message issued by thependant to the patient. One of the message and the another message maybe an audible message, and the other of the message and the anothermessage may be a visual message.

In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured todetermine contact information for at least one family member of thepatient based on the patient information and cause the at least onefamily member to be contacted using the contact information to informthe at least one family member of the characteristic. The controller maybe configured to cause a text message to be sent to a mobile device ofthe at least one family member. Additionally, in other embodiments, thecontroller may be configured to cause the patient support apparatus tobe connected to a mobile device of the at least one family member via atelephone line.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a patient supportapparatus comprises a frame, a sensor, and a controller. The frame and asupport surface cooperate to support a patient. The sensor is coupled toone of the frame and the support surface, and the sensor is configuredto provide a first input signal indicative of a first characteristicassociated with the patient. The controller is coupled to the sensor,and the controller includes a processor and memory. The controller isconfigured to receive the first input signal, associate thecharacteristic indicated by the first input signal with patientinformation stored in an electronic medical records system, and, if thecontroller receives a second input signal indicative of a secondcharacteristic associated with the patient, cause a visual messagecustomized to the patient according to the patient information to beissued to the patient in response to receiving the second input signal.

In some embodiments, the visual message may address the patient by name.The first characteristic may correspond to a position of the patient onthe support surface. The second characteristic may correspond to one ofa hard-of-hearing condition and a delirious condition of the patient.

In some embodiments, if the controller receives the second input signal,the controller may cause the visual message to be displayed to thepatient on one of the following: a footboard coupled to the frame,siderails coupled to the frame, a floor supporting the patient supportapparatus, a door permitting entry to a room in which the patientsupport apparatus is located, or a display positioned inside the room.If the controller does not receive the second input signal, thecontroller may be configured to cause an audible message customized tothe patient according to the patient information to be issued to thepatient.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method ofcommunicating a message to a patient by a patient support apparatusincluding a frame, a support surface supported by the frame, and asensor configured to provide an input signal indicative of acharacteristic associated with the patient comprises receiving the inputsignal, associating the characteristic indicated by the input signalwith patient information stored in an electronic medical records system,and causing a message customized to the patient according to the patientinformation to be issued to the patient.

In some embodiments, the characteristic may correspond to a position ofthe patient on the support surface, and the message may address thepatient by name and discourage the patient from exiting the supportsurface. Additionally, in other embodiments, the method may furthercomprise determining contact information for at least one family memberof the patient based on the patient information, and causing the atleast one family member to be contacted using the contact information toinform the at least one family member of the characteristic. In someembodiments, causing the at least one family member to be contacted maycomprise either causing a text message to be sent to a mobile device ofthe at least one family member or causing the patient support apparatusto be connected to the mobile device of the at least one family membervia a telephone line.

Additional features, which alone or in combination with any otherfeature(s), including those listed above and those listed in the claims,may comprise patentable subject matter and will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon consideration of the following detaileddescription of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode ofcarrying out the invention as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figuresin which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a patient support apparatus located in apatient's room of a hospital that includes a frame, a support surfacecooperating with the frame to support a patient, a controller coupled tothe frame, and a pendant coupled to the frame and the controller;

FIG. 2 is a detail view of the pendant of the patient support apparatusof FIG. 1 showing that the pendant is configured to issue an audiblemessage customized to the patient to the patient to discourage thepatient from exiting the support surface;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the patient support apparatus of FIG. 1showing a visual message customized to the patient to discourage thepatient from exiting the support surface displayed in one of a varietyof locations on the patient support apparatus and in the patient room;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the patient support apparatus of FIG. 1showing a communication path between the controller and an electronicmedical records system and between the controller and a public switchedtelephone network;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the controller of the patient supportapparatus of FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 6-9 are diagrammatic views of sets of instructions executable bythe controller of FIG. 5 to perform various activities.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to FIG. 1, an illustrative patient support apparatus 10 isshown. The patient support apparatus 10 includes a frame 12 supported bywheels or casters and a support surface 14 that cooperates with theframe 12 to support a patient above a floor 16 on which the patientsupport apparatus 10 rests. The patient support apparatus 10 furtherincludes a sensor 18 that is coupled to the frame 12. The sensor 18 isconfigured to provide an input signal indicative of a characteristicassociated with the patient. The patient support apparatus 10 furtherincludes a controller 20 that is coupled to the frame 12 and the sensor18. The controller 20 is configured to receive the input signal,associate the characteristic with patient information stored in anelectronic medical records system 22, and cause a message 24 customizedto the patient according to the patient information to be issued to thepatient.

The characteristic indicated by the input signal provided by the sensor18 illustratively corresponds to the position of the patient on thesupport surface 14. Specifically, the input signal provided by thesensor 18 may indicate that the patient is present and/or moving on thesupport surface 14, or that the patient has exited, or is in the processof exiting, the support surface 14. The controller 20 causes the message24 to be issued to the patient in response to receiving the input signalfrom the sensor 18 indicating that the patient has exited, or is in theprocess of exiting, the support surface 14. As such, the customizedmessage 24 represents an action performed by the patient supportapparatus 10 in response to the detected exit of the patient from thesupport surface 14, as best seen in FIGS. 7-9.

The sensor 18 is illustratively embodied as a device or systemconfigured to detect the patient's weight, or lack thereof, on thesupport surface 14 as suggested by FIG. 1. The sensor 18 may be embodiedas, or otherwise include, one or more load cells. The sensor 18 may alsobe embodied as, or otherwise include, a patient positioning monitoringsystem.

The patient support apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is illustrativelyembodied as a hospital bed. In other embodiments, however, the patientsupport apparatus 10 may be embodied as any one of a number of suitablepatient support apparatuses. For example, the patient support apparatus10 may be embodied as a recovery bed, a wheel chair, a surgical table,or the like.

The patient support apparatus 10 illustratively includes a mattress 26,a number of siderails 28, a headboard 30, and a footboard 32, each ofwhich is supported by the frame 12 as shown in FIG. 1. The headboard 30is positioned adjacent a head end 34 of the patient support apparatus10. The footboard 32 is positioned adjacent a foot end 36 of the patientsupport apparatus 10 arranged opposite the head end 34. The siderails 28extend between the head and foot ends 34, 36 along opposite sides 38, 40of the patient support apparatus 10. The mattress 26 is positionedbetween the head and foot ends 34, 36 and between the sides 38, 40 ofthe patient support apparatus 10.

The patient support apparatus 10 also illustratively includes amicrophone 42 and a speaker 44 each coupled to the frame 12 and thecontroller 20 as shown in FIG. 1. The microphone 42 is configured toprovide an input signal in response to sound provided thereto. Thespeaker 44 is configured to provide sound in response to an input signalprovided thereto. The microphone 42 may provide an input signal inresponse to sound provided thereto by the patient resting on the supportsurface 14 or a caregiver nearby the support surface 14. The speaker 44may provide sound in response to an input signal provided thereto by aperson located outside of a patient's room 46 of a hospital in which thepatient support apparatus 10 is positioned.

The microphone 42 may be used to record the message 24 customized to thepatient resting on the support surface 14, as described in greaterdetail below with reference to FIG. 6. The speaker 44 may be used toissue the message 24 to the patient when the patient's exit or attemptedexit from the support surface 14 is detected by the sensor 18, asdiscussed below with reference to FIGS. 7-9.

The patient support apparatus 10 further illustratively includes apendant 48 as shown in FIG. 1. The pendant 48 embodies a caregiverinput-output device that is coupled to the controller 20. The pendant 48is configured to communicate with the controller 20 when the pendant 48is supported by the frame 12 or when the pendant 48 is physicallyseparated from the frame 12 within the patient's room 46.

The pendant 48 may be used to issue the message 24 to the patient whenthe patient's exit or attempted exit from the support surface 14 isdetected by the sensor 18, as discussed below with reference to FIG. 6.As such, the pendant 48 illustratively includes a pendant speaker 50configured to issue the message 24 to the patient. The pendant 48 mayalso be used to issue another message 68 to the patient to accompany themessage 24 when the patient's exit or attempted exit from the supportsurface 14 is detected by the sensor 18, as discussed below withreference to FIG. 2.

In addition to the pendant 48, the patient support apparatus 10 mayfurther include other caregiver input-output devices capable ofreceiving and processing electrical input from a number of manuallyoperable switches coupled to the caregiver input-output devices. Thecaregiver input-output devices may enable the caregiver to configure,activate, and deactivate certain electronically controlled functions ofthe patient support apparatus 10.

The patient support apparatus 10 may further include patientinput-output devices capable of receiving and processing electricalinput from a number of manually operable switches coupled to the patientinput-output devices. The patient input-output devices may be used toenable the patient to activate and deactivate certain electronicallycontrolled functions of the patient support apparatus 10 when thepatient is positioned on the support surface 14. Such functions mightinclude raising or lowering certain sections of the patient supportapparatus 10, placing a call to a healthcare communication system 54coupled to the controller 20 via a hospital network 56, or turning onvarious devices within the patient's room 46.

The patient support apparatus 10 is located in the patient's room 46 asshown in FIG. 1 and indicated above. The patient's room 46illustratively includes the floor 16 and a door 58. The door 58 may beembodied as a door permitting or blocking access to the room 46. Thedoor 58 may also be embodied as a door permitting or blocking access toa bathroom.

The patient's room 46 also illustratively includes a display 60 and aprojector 62, each of which is coupled to the controller 20 as shown inFIG. 1. The display 60 may be used to issue the message 24 customized tothe patient when the patient's exit or attempted exit from the supportsurface 14 is detected by the sensor 18, as discussed below withreference to FIG. 3. The projector 62 may be used to project the message24 onto various objects within the patient's room 46 when the patient'sexit or attempted exit from the support surface 14 is detected by thesensor 18, as discussed below with reference to FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the illustrative pendant 48 is shown in detail.The pendant 48 is configured to issue an audible indication by thependant speaker 50 to the patient when the patient's exit or attemptedexit from the support surface 14 is detected by the sensor 18, asdiscussed below. In addition to the pendant speaker 50, the pendant 48includes a touchscreen display 64. The touchscreen display 64 mayinclude a graphical user interface enabling the caregiver to configure,activate, and deactivate certain of the electronically controlledfunctions of the patient support apparatus 10. The pendant 48 isconfigured to issue a visual indication by the touchscreen display 64 tothe patient when the patient's exit or attempted exit from the supportsurface 14 is detected by the sensor 18, as discussed below.

The pendant 48 is configured to issue the message 24 to the patient whenthe patient's exit or attempted exit from the support surface 14 isdetected by the sensor 18 as indicated above. As shown in FIG. 2, themessage 24 issued by the pendant 48 is illustratively embodied as, orotherwise includes, an audible message 66 that is issued to the patientby the pendant speaker 50. The audible message 66 addresses the patientby name and discourages the patient from exiting the support surface 14while awaiting assistance from a caregiver.

When the patient's exit or attempted exit from the support surface 14 isdetected by the sensor 18, the pendant 48 is illustratively configuredto issue another message 68 to the patient to accompany the message 66as shown in FIG. 2. The message 68 is issued to the patient by thetouchscreen display 64. The message 68 is embodied as, or otherwiseincludes, a visual message that discourages the patient from exiting thesupport surface 14.

Referring now to FIG. 3, similar to FIG. 1, the patient's room 46 andthe patient support apparatus 10 positioned within the patient's room 46are shown. As shown in FIG. 3, the message 24 is illustratively embodiedas, or otherwise includes, a visual message 70 that addresses thepatient by name and discourages the patient from exiting the supportsurface 14 while awaiting assistance from a caregiver.

When the patient's exit or attempted exit from the support surface 14 isdetected by the sensor 18, the controller 20 is configured to causeeither the audible message 66 or the visual message 70 to be issued tothe patient as shown in FIGS. 7-9. The circumstance under which eachmessage 66, 70 is issued to the patient is discussed below withreference to FIGS. 7-9.

The visual message 70 may illustratively be issued to the patient bymultiple devices in multiple locations within the patient's room 46 asshown in FIG. 3. In one example, the visual message 70 may be issued tothe patient by the display 60. In another example, the visual message 70may be issued to the patient by the projector 62 and projected onto thefloor 16. In yet another example, the visual message 70 may be issued tothe patient by the projector 62 and projected onto the door 58. In yetanother example still, the visual message 70 may be issued to thepatient by the projector 62 and projected onto the footboard 32.Finally, the visual message 70 may be issued to the patient by theprojector 62 and projected onto the siderails 28. It should beappreciated that in other embodiments, the visual message 70 may beissued to the patient in other suitable locations by other suitabledevices positioned in the patient's room 46.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the illustrative frame 12 included in thepatient support apparatus 10 is shown in detail. The frame 12 includes alower frame 86, an upper frame 88, and a deck 90 coupled to the upperframe 88. The deck 90 is movable to a plurality of positions assuggested by FIG. 4. The deck 90 includes a head-deck section 92, aseat-deck section 94, a thigh-deck section 96, and a foot-deck section98. The head-deck section 92 is mounted to the upper frame 88 to pivotabout an axis relative to the seat-deck section 94 and to slide relativeto the seat-deck section 94 and the upper frame 88 as described in U.S.Publication Nos. 2010/0122415 and 2012/0005832, which are incorporatedherein in their entirety. The seat-deck section 94 is coupled to theupper frame 88 to move with the upper frame 88. The thigh-deck section96 is coupled to the seat-deck section 94 to pivot relative to theseat-deck section 94. The foot-deck section 98 is coupled to thethigh-deck section 96 to pivot relative to the thigh-deck section 96.The foot-deck section 98 is also extendable and retractable to lengthenor shorten the deck 90 as desired by a caregiver or to accommodaterepositioning of the deck 90.

Communication paths between the patient support apparatus 10 andsystems/networks located inside the hospital and between the patientsupport apparatus 10 and system/networks located outside the hospitalare shown in FIG. 4. The patient support apparatus 10, specifically thecontroller 20, is illustratively coupled to the hospital network 56through a communication link 72. The communication link 72 enableselectrical communications originating at the patient support apparatus10 (e.g., at the controller 20) to be communicated to the hospitalnetwork 56. In one example, the communication link 72 may be a wirelessdevice enabling data to be exchanged between the controller 20 and thehospital network 56, such as a Bluetooth device. In another example, thecommunication link 72 may be a wired RS-232 connection permitting datato be exchanged between the controller 20 and the hospital network 56.

The hospital network 56 illustratively couples the controller 20 to thehealthcare communication system 54 and to the electronic medical recordssystem 22 of the hospital as shown in FIG. 4. The hospital network 56may be embodied as, or otherwise include, a local area network, a widearea network, a secure enterprise cloud, secure portions of theInternet, and/or others. In some embodiments, in addition to thehospital network 56, intermediate devices and/or circuitry may enablethe controller 20 to interface with the healthcare communication system54 and with the electronic medical records system 22. For example, aninput-output (I/O) board and a switch (e.g., a Power over Ethernet (POE)switch) may be used to communicatively couple the controller 20 to thehealthcare communication system 54 and to the electronic medical recordssystem 22.

The electronic medical records system 22 is illustratively used to storedata for patients receiving care at the hospital as suggested by FIG. 4.Patient information such as the patient's name, an identifier for thepatient support apparatus occupied by the patient, the patient's familymembers, and the family members' contact information, among otherthings, may be stored in an electronic history file (EHF) in a databaseincluded in the electronic medical records system 22. The messages 66,70 customized to the patient resting on the support surface 14 may bestored in the electronic medical records system 22 within the patient'selectronic history file, as discussed below with reference to FIG. 6.

The healthcare communication system 54 illustratively includes a nursecall system which may include a master station and a number of userstations. Each of the nurse call system user stations may includecomputers permitting caregiver access to patient information stored inthe electronic medical records system 22 database. The nurse call systemmay also utilize server computers provided at the master station or theuser stations to operate and manage certain functions of the nurse callsystem. For example, the server computers may receive and managecommunications from devices connected to the nurse call system, controlthe placement, cancelling, and answering of nurse calls, and generatenotifications/alerts prompting caregivers to assist patients.

The healthcare communication system 54 is coupled to atelecommunications server which acts as a gateway to the hospital'stelecommunications infrastructure. The hospital's telecommunicationsinfrastructure illustratively includes a network 74 that facilitatescommunication among a variety of telecommunication devices, includinganalog and digital devices, fixed telephones or mobile or cellulardevices carried by hospital personnel or persons associated withpatients receiving care at the hospital, personal data assistants(PDAs), pagers, and the like.

In the illustrative embodiment, the network 74 is embodied as, orotherwise includes, a public switched telephone network (PTSN) as shownin FIG. 4. In other embodiments, however, the network 74 may be embodiedas, or otherwise include, other suitable networks, such as a privatebranch exchange (PBX), or the like. The public switched telephonenetwork 74 is used to transmit communications originating at the patientsupport apparatus 10 (i.e., at the controller 20) to one or more mobiledevices carried by one or more of the patient's family members who arelocated inside or outside of the hospital.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the illustrative controller 20 is shown indetail. The controller 20 manages a variety of electronically controlledfunctions associated with the patient support apparatus 10. Thecontroller 20 includes a processor 76 and memory 78 coupled to theprocessor 76. The processor 76 receives power from a power supply 80.The memory 78 includes instructions that are executable by the processor76 to cause the processor 76 to perform a variety of activities, asdiscussed below with reference to FIGS. 6-9.

The processor 76 is illustratively configured to receive input signalsfrom one or more input devices 82 that are coupled to the controller 20as shown in FIG. 5. The input devices 82 may include, for example, thesensor 18. The processor 76 is also illustratively configured totransmit output signals to one or more output devices 84 that arecoupled to the controller 20. Such output devices 84 may include, forexample, the pendant 48.

The controller 20 may be contained within a housing that is mountable toa fixed location on the patient support apparatus 10. For example, thehousing may be mounted to the frame 12, as suggested by FIG. 4, or tothe siderails 28, the footboard 32, or the headboard 30. The housing maycontain electrical circuitry included with the controller 20 that isconfigured to interface with a network communicatively coupling theinput and output devices 82, 84 to the processor 76, such as a bednetwork. The bed network may be an electronic network configuredaccording to a CAN (Controller Area Network) or Echelon protocol, or anyother suitable bed network communications protocol.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an illustrative set of instructions 100 areshown that define a sequence of steps for specifying a characteristic ofthe patient and creating/storing either the audible message 66 or thevisual message 70 based on the specified characteristic. The set ofinstructions 100 are stored in memory 78 of the controller 20. Theinstructions 100 direct the controller 20 to store either the audiblemessage 66 or the visual message 70 so that the controller 20 may causeone of the messages 66, 70 to be issued when the patient's exit orattempted exit from the support surface 14 is detected by the sensor 18.

The set of instructions 100 illustratively includes a retrieve patientinformation step 102 that directs patient information for the patientoccupying the support surface 14 to be retrieved as shown in FIG. 6. Todo so, the controller 20, which is communicatively coupled to theelectronic medical records system 22 through the communication link 72and the hospital network 56, may retrieve the patient information fromthe electronic history file maintained for the patient in the databaseincluded in the system 22. The retrieve patient information step 102 maybe initialized by a caregiver in response to a retrieve patientinformation prompt issued by the controller 20 to a caregiverinput-output device coupled to the controller 20, such as the pendant 48or a user interface, for example.

The set of instructions 100 next proceeds to a specify patientcharacteristic step 104 that directs the caregiver to specify thecharacteristic of the patient as shown in FIG. 6. The characteristiccorresponds to one of a hard-of-hearing condition or a deliriouscondition of the patient. As such, the caregiver is directed in thespecify patient characteristic step 104 to specify if the patient iseither hard-of-hearing or delirious based on the patient informationobtained in the patient information step 102. If the caregiver specifiesthat the patient is either hard-of-hearing or delirious, an input signalindicative of that characteristic is provided to the controller 20, andthe instructions 100 next proceed to a detail visual message step 106.If the caregiver specifies that the patient is not hard-of-hearing ordelirious, the instructions 100 next proceed to a record audible messagestep 112. The specify patient characteristic step 104 may be performedin response to a specify patient information prompt issued by thecontroller 20 to a caregiver input-output device coupled to thecontroller 20.

In response to the controller 20 receiving the input signal indicativeof the characteristic in the specify patient characteristic step 104,the set of instructions 100 next proceeds to the detail visual messagestep 106 as shown in FIG. 6. In the detail visual message step 106, thecaregiver is directed to detail the visual message 70 customized to thepatient based on the patient information obtained in step 102. To do so,the caregiver may enter the visual message 70 on a caregiverinput-output device coupled to the controller 20. The detail visualmessage step 106 may be performed in response to a detail visual messageprompt issued by the controller 20 to a caregiver input-output devicecoupled to the controller 20.

The set of instructions 100 next proceeds to a store visual message step108 that directs the visual message 70 detailed in the detail visualmessage step 106 to be stored as shown in FIG. 6. The visual message 70may be stored in the electronic history file maintained for the patientin the electronic medical records system 22. The caregiver may directthe visual message 70 to be stored in the system 22 in response to astore visual message prompt issued by the controller 20 to a caregiverinput-output device coupled to the controller 20.

The set of instructions 100 next proceeds to a select location/devicefor issuing visual message step 110 that directs the caregiver to selectthe location/device for issuing the visual message 70 detailed andstored in steps 106, 108 as shown in FIG. 6. The locations/devices forissuing the visual message 70 may be any one of those described abovewith reference to FIG. 3. The caregiver may select the device/locationfor issuing the visual message 70 in response to a selectlocation/device for issuing visual message prompt issued by thecontroller 20 to a caregiver input-output device coupled to thecontroller 20. Following completion of the step 110, the set ofinstructions 100 are concluded.

Returning to step 104, if the caregiver specifies that the patient isnot hard-of-hearing or delirious, the set of instructions 100 nextproceeds to the record audible message step 112 as indicated above andshown in FIG. 6. In the record audible message step 112, the caregiveris directed to record the audible message 66 customized to the patientbased on the patient information retrieved in step 102. To do so, thecaregiver may record the audible message 66 using the microphone 42. Therecord audible message step 112 may be performed in response to a recordaudible message prompt issued by the controller 20 to a caregiverinput-output device coupled to the controller 20.

The set of instructions 100 next proceeds to a store audible messagestep 114 that directs the audible message 66 recorded in the recordaudible message step 112 to be stored as shown in FIG. 6. The audiblemessage 66 may be stored in the electronic history file maintained forthe patient in the electronic medical records system 22. The caregivermay direct the audible message 66 to be stored in the system 22 inresponse to a store audible message prompt issued by the controller 20to a caregiver input-output device coupled to the controller 20.

The set of instructions 100 next proceeds to a select location/devicefor issuing audible message step 116 that directs the caregiver toselect the location/device for issuing the audible message 66 recordedand stored in steps 114, 116 as shown in FIG. 6. The locations/devicesfor issuing the audible message 66 may be any one of those describedabove with reference to FIG. 2. The caregiver may select thedevice/location for issuing the audible message 66 in response to aselect location/device for issuing audible message prompt issued by thecontroller 20 to a caregiver input-output device coupled to thecontroller 20. Following completion of the step 116, the set ofinstructions 100 are concluded.

Referring now to FIG. 7, another illustrative set of instructions 200are shown that define a sequence of steps for issuing one of the audiblemessage 66 and the visual message 70 to the patient. The set ofinstructions 200 are stored in memory 78 of the controller 20. The setof instructions 200 direct the controller 20 to cause one of themessages 66, 70 to be issued to the patient when the patient's exit orattempted exit from the support surface 14 is detected by the sensor 18.

The set of instructions 200 include a detect bed exit step 202 thatdirects the controller 20 to determine whether the patient has exited orattempted to exit the support surface 14 as shown in FIG. 7. Thecontroller 20 performs the detect bed exit step 202 based on the inputsignal provided to the controller 20 by the sensor 18. If the controller20 determines that the patient has not exited or attempted to exit thesupport surface 14 based on the input signal provided by the sensor 18,the set of instructions 200 proceed no further. However, if thecontroller 20 determines that the patient has exited or attempted toexit the support surface 14 based on the input signal provided by thesensor 18, the set of instructions 200 proceed to an associate bed exitwith patient information step 204.

The associate bed exit with patient information step 204 directs thecontroller 20 to associate the patient's detected exit or attempted exitfrom the patient support apparatus 10 with patient information for thepatient as shown in FIG. 7. Essentially, the controller 20 performs step204 by determining the identity of, and retrieving the message 24customized to, the patient that has exited or attempted to exit thepatient support apparatus 10. The input signal from the sensor 18 maysignify, or otherwise be accompanied by, an identifier that identifiesthe patient support apparatus 10. After receiving the input signal, thecontroller 20 may communicate with the system 22 to match the identifierto the patient information for the patient identified by the system 22as occupying the patient support apparatus 10. Once the controller 20has matched the identifier with the patient information contained in thepatient's electronic history file, the controller 20 may retrieve themessage 24 customized to the patient.

The set of instructions 200 next proceeds to an issue message step 206that directs the controller 20 to cause the message 24 to be issued tothe patient according to the patient information as shown in FIG. 7. Ifthe patient information does not indicate that the patient ishard-of-hearing or delirious, the controller 20 causes the audiblemessage 66 recorded in step 112 to be issued to the patient at thedevice/location selected in step 116. If the patient informationindicates that the patient is hard-of-hearing or delirious, thecontroller 20 causes the visual message 70 detailed in step 106 to beissued to the patient at the device/location selected in step 110.

The set of instructions 200 next proceeds to a notify caregiver(s) step208 that directs the controller 20 to notify the caregiver(s) of thepatient's exit or attempted exit from the patient support apparatus 10as shown in FIG. 7. The controller 20 may generate an alert that iscommunicated to the nurse call system included in the healthcarecommunication system 54 to notify the appropriate caregiver(s) of thepatient's exit or attempted exit from the patient support apparatus 10.After the caregiver(s) have been notified of the patient's exit orattempted exit from the patient support apparatus 10, the set ofinstructions 200 are concluded.

Referring now to FIG. 8, yet another illustrative set of instructions300 are shown that define a sequence of steps for issuing one of themessages 66, 70 to the patient and thereafter contacting one or morefamily members of the patient. The set of instructions 300 may be storedin memory 78 of the controller 20. The set of instructions 300 directsthe controller 20 to cause one of the messages 66, 70 to be issued tothe patient when the patient's exit or attempted exit from the supportsurface 14 is detected by the sensor 18 and to thereafter cause thepatient's family member(s) to be notified of the event.

The set of instructions 300 include a detect bed exit step 302 thatdirects the controller 20 to determine whether the patient has exited orattempted to exit the support surface 14 as shown in FIG. 8. Thecontroller 20 performs the detect bed exit step 302 based on the inputsignal provided to the controller 20 by the sensor 18. If the controller20 determines that the patient has not exited or attempted to exit thesupport surface 14 based on the input signal provided by the sensor 18,the set of instructions 300 proceed no further. However, if thecontroller determines that the patient has exited or attempted to exitthe support surface 14 based on the input signal provided by the sensor18, the set of instructions 300 proceed to an associate bed exit withpatient information step 304.

The associate bed exit with patient information step 304 directs thecontroller 20 to associate the patient's detected exit or attempted exitof the patient support apparatus 10 with patient information for thepatient as shown in FIG. 8. Essentially, the controller 20 performs step304 by determining the identity of, and retrieving the message 24customized to, the patient that has exited or attempted to exit thepatient support apparatus 10. The input signal from the sensor 18 maysignify, or otherwise be accompanied by, an identifier that identifiesthe patient support apparatus 10. After receiving the input signal, thecontroller 20 may communicate with the system 22 to match the identifierto the patient information for the patient identified by the system 22as occupying the patient support apparatus 10. Once the controller 20has matched the identifier with the patient information contained in thepatient's electronic history file, the controller 20 may retrieve themessage 24 customized to the patient.

The set of instructions 300 next proceeds to an issue message step 306that directs the controller 20 to cause the message 24 to be issuedaccording to the patient information as shown in FIG. 8. If the patientinformation does not indicate that the patient is hard-of-hearing ordelirious, the controller 20 causes the audible message 66 recorded instep 112 to be issued to the patient at the device/location selected instep 116. If the patient information indicates that the patient ishard-of-hearing or delirious, the controller 20 causes the visualmessage 70 detailed in step 106 to be issued to the patient at thedevice/location selected in step 110.

The set of instructions 300 next proceeds to a notify caregiver(s) step308 that directs the controller 20 to notify the caregiver(s) of thepatient's exit or attempted exit from the patient support apparatus 10as shown in FIG. 8. The controller 20 may generate an alert that iscommunicated to the nurse call system included in the healthcarecommunication system 54 to notify the appropriate caregiver(s) of thepatient's exit or attempted exit from the patient support apparatus 10.

The set of instructions 300 next proceeds to a determine family membercontact information step 310 that directs the controller 20 to determinecontact information for one or more family members of the patient asshown in FIG. 8. To do so, the controller 20 communicates with theelectronic medical records system 22 to access the family member contactinformation contained in the patient's electronic history file. Thefamily member contact information is illustratively embodied as, orotherwise includes, information (e.g., telephone numbers) forcommunicating with one or more mobile devices carried by the patient'sfamily members.

The set of instructions 300 next proceeds to a send family membernotification step 312 that directs the controller 20 to contact thepatient's one or more family members using the information determined instep 310 as shown in FIG. 8. The controller 20 communicates with the oneor more mobile devices carried by the patient's family members throughthe communication link 72, the hospital network 56, the healthcarecommunication system 54, and the public switched telephone network 74.The controller 20 illustratively sends a text message to the mobiledevice(s) carried by the patient's one or more family members to informthem of the patient's exit or attempted exit from the patient supportapparatus 10. In response to receiving the text message(s), thepatient's one or more family member(s) may take action to furtherdiscourage the patient from exiting the patient support apparatus 10while awaiting caregiver assistance. Upon completion of the send familymember notification step 312, the set of instructions 300 are concluded.

Referring now to FIG. 9, yet another illustrative set of instructions400 still are shown that define a sequence of steps for issuing one ofthe messages 66, 70 to the patient and thereafter contacting thepatient's one or more family members. The set of instructions 400 may bestored in memory 78 of the controller 20. The set of instructions 400directs the controller to cause one of the messages 66, 70 to be issuedto the patient when the patient's exit or attempted exit from thesupport surface 14 is detected by the sensor 18 and to thereafter causethe patient's family member(s) to be notified of the event.

The set of instructions 400 includes a detect bed exit step 402 thatdirects the controller 20 to determine whether the patient has exited orattempted to exit the support surface 14 as shown in FIG. 9. Thecontroller 20 performs the detect bed exit step 402 based on the inputsignal provided to the controller 20 by the sensor 18. If the controller20 determines that the patient has not exited or attempted to exit thesupport surface 14 based on the input signal provided by the sensor 18,the set of instructions 400 proceed no further. However, if thecontroller determines that the patient has exited or attempted to exitthe support surface 14 based on the input signal provided by the sensor18, the set of instructions 400 proceed to an associate bed exit withpatient information step 404.

The associate bed exit with patient information step 404 directs thecontroller 20 to associate the patient's detected exit or attempted exitfrom the patient support apparatus 10 with patient information for thepatient as shown in FIG. 9. Essentially, the controller 20 performs step404 by determining the identity of, and retrieving the message 24customized to, the patient that has exited or attempted to exit thepatient support apparatus 10. The input signal from the sensor 18 maysignify, or otherwise be accompanied by, an identifier that identifiesthe patient support apparatus 10. After receiving the input signal, thecontroller 20 may communicate with the electronic medical records system22 to match the identifier to the patient information for the patientidentified by the system 22 as occupying the patient support apparatus10. Once the controller 20 has matched the identifier with the patientinformation contained in the patient's electronic history file, thecontroller 20 may retrieve the message 24 customized to the patient.

The set of instructions 400 next proceeds to an issue message step 406that directs the controller 20 to cause the message 24 to be issuedaccording to the patient information as shown in FIG. 9. If the patientinformation does not indicate that the patient is hard-of-hearing ordelirious, the controller 20 causes the audible message 66 recorded instep 112 to be issued to the patient at the device/location selected instep 116. If the patient information indicates that the patient ishard-of-hearing or delirious, the controller 20 causes the visualmessage 70 detailed in step 106 to be issued to the patient at thedevice/location selected in step 110.

The set of instructions 400 next proceeds to a notify caregiver(s) step408 that directs the controller 20 to notify the caregiver(s) of thepatient's exit or attempted exit from the patient support apparatus 10as shown in FIG. 9. The controller 20 may generate an alert in step 408that is communicated to the nurse call system included in the healthcarecommunication system 54 to notify the appropriate caregiver(s) of thepatient's exit or attempted exit from the patient support apparatus 10.

The set of instructions 400 next proceeds to a determine family membercontact information step 410 that directs the controller 20 to determinecontact information for one or more family members of the patient asshown in FIG. 9. To do so, the controller 20 communicates with theelectronic medical records system 22 to access the family member contactinformation contained in the patient's electronic history file. Thefamily member contact information is illustratively embodied as, orotherwise includes, information (e.g., telephone numbers) forcommunicating with one or more mobile devices carried by the patient'sfamily members.

The set of instructions 400 next proceeds to a connect family member(s)step 412 that directs the controller 20 to contact the patient's one ormore family members using the information determined in step 410 asshown in FIG. 9. The controller 20 communicates with the one or moremobile devices carried by the patient's family members through thecommunications link 72, the hospital network 56, the healthcarecommunication system 54, and the public switched telephone network 74.The controller 20 illustratively connects the patient support apparatus10 to the mobile device(s) carried by the patient's one or more familymembers via a telephone line to inform them of the patient's exit orattempted exit from the patient support apparatus 10. Through thetelephone line, the patient's one or more family members may furtherdiscourage the patient from exiting the patient support apparatus 10while awaiting caregiver assistance. Meanwhile, the patient maycommunicate with the one or more family members through the telephoneline using, for example, the microphone 42 and the speaker 44 includedin the patient support apparatus 10. Upon completion of the connectfamily member(s) step 412, the set of instructions 400 are concluded.

Although certain illustrative embodiments have been described in detailabove, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit ofthis disclosure as described and as defined in the following claims.

1. A system comprising an electronic medical records system includinginformation specific to individual patients, and a patient supportapparatus having a sensor configured to provide an input signalindicative of a characteristic associated with a patient supported onthe patient support apparatus, and a controller coupled to the sensorand including a processor and a memory device, the memory deviceincluding instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause thecontroller to receive the input signal, communicate the characteristicindicated by the input signal to the electronic medical records system,wherein the electronic medical records system associates the sensedsignal from the sensor with the patient supported on and the patientsupport apparatus and transmits information specific to the patientsupported on the patient support apparatus from the electronic medicalrecords system to the patient support apparatus such that the controllerof the patient support apparatus processes the information specific tothe patient supported on the patient support apparatus, and the memorydevice of the controller of the patient support apparatus includesinstructions that are executed by the processor to cause the informationspecific to the patient supported on the patient support apparatus toperform a predefined action specific to the patient supported on thepatient support apparatus in response to the input signal from thesensor.
 2. The system of 1, wherein the characteristic corresponds to aposition of the patient on the support surface.
 3. The system of 2,wherein the action specific to the patient is the issuance of a messagecustomized to the patient and the message comprises an audible promptthat addresses the patient by name and discourages the patient fromexiting the support surface.
 4. The system of 2, wherein the actionspecific to the patient is the issuance of a message customized to thepatient and the message comprises a visual message that addresses thepatient by name and discourages the patient from exiting the supportsurface.
 5. The system of 1, further comprising a pendant coupled to thecontroller, wherein the wherein the action specific to the patient isthe issuance of a message customized to the patient to be issued to thepatient by the pendant.
 6. The system of 5, wherein the controller isconfigured to cause another message to be issued by the pendant to thepatient to accompany the message issued by the pendant to the patient.7. The system of 6, wherein one of the message and the another messageis an audible message, and the other of the message and the anothermessage is a visual message.
 9. The system of 1, wherein the controlleris configured to cause a text message to be sent to a mobile device ofthe at least one family member.
 10. The system of 1, wherein thecontroller is configured to cause the patient support apparatus to beconnected to a mobile device of the at least one family member via atelephone line.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor isconfigured to provide a first input signal indicative of a firstcharacteristic associated with the patient, and has an input deviceother than the sensor, the input device providing a second input signalindicative of a second characteristic associated with the patient,wherein the action specific to the patient supported on the patientsupport apparatus is based on the sensor signal, the second inputsignal, and the patient information.
 12. The system of 11, wherein theaction comprises the issuance of a visual message that addresses thepatient by name.
 13. The system of 12, wherein the first characteristiccorresponds to a position of the patient on the support surface.
 14. Thesystem of 13, wherein the second characteristic corresponds to one of ahard-of-hearing condition and a dementia condition of the patient. 15.The system of 11, wherein if the controller receives the second inputsignal, the controller is configured to cause a visual message to bedisplayed to the patient on one of the following: a footboard coupled tothe frame, siderails coupled to the frame, a floor supporting thepatient support apparatus, a door of a room in which the patient supportapparatus is located, or a display positioned inside the room.
 16. Thesystem of 15, wherein if the controller does not receive the secondinput signal, the controller is configured to cause an audible messagecustomized to the patient according to the patient information to beissued to the patient.
 17. The system of 11, wherein the controller isconfigured to cause a text message to be sent to a mobile device of theat least one family member.
 18. The system of 11, wherein the controlleris configured to cause the patient support apparatus to be connected toa mobile device of the at least one family member via a telephone line.19. The system of claim 11, wherein the patient specific information iscontact information for at least one family member of the patient andthe action includes causing the at least one family member to becontacted using the contact information to inform the at least onefamily member of the characteristic sensed by the sensor.
 20. The systemof claim 1, wherein the patient specific information is contactinformation for at least one family member of the patient and the actionincludes causing the at least one family member to be contacted usingthe contact information to inform the at least one family member of thecharacteristic sensed by the sensor.